Note, I didn’t say change. I don’t believe people can change. The ugly weeds are always there along with the beautiful flower seeds. Life just like a garden: we must always remove the weeds and take care of the flower seeds. Water our flower seeds, find the good soil, sun, and air.

Similarly, a confused overweight girl-part is still with me. A scared child tries to find love in food, drink, and otherworldly vices. On the other hand, a happy girl who wants to thrive and play and live the life to the fullest is also there.

Most of the times, I tend to my garden well. A big part of my transformation is my desire to learn, to be my best possible self. I’ve always had a hard time with authorities. Even science. Just to think about how doctors used to recommend cocaine and cigarettes.

With this in mind, I became my own doctor. I experiment, I look for practices, remedies, and solutions that work for me. Research is a big part of my life. If I read something and it resonates with me, I test it for three to four weeks and track how it makes me feel. I am 41 and in the best shape of my life!

Provided that, I see my doc every five years with great blood results. In comparison with way too many emergency visits in my 20th.

So, I would like to share with you my top five healthy hacks to help you on the road towards transformation.

1) Mindfulness

If your mindset is shitty, no amount of kale will make your life better.

There is a lot of focus on nutrition and exercise in health and wellness industry. We kick each other’s asses over butter, dairy, cardio, low-impact, Pilates, postural yoga, sugar, and other popular subjects. In the meantime, our students and patients get more sick and confused than ever.

Don’t get me wrong. I think food and exercise are essential for wellness but, when we spend so much time obsessing over it, we start missing the bigger picture.

I believe no amount of proper nutrition and exercise is a substitute for a clear mind. We might start by cleaning our diet, but to be truly healthy, we need to know and understand ourselves.

Meditation

To some, yoga does the trick, for others, it is time spend nature, some might choose mind-altering substances, journaling, music or painting. In other words, doing something that takes you out of your mind and keeps your attention on the pure subject.

To me, mindfulness is synonymous with yoga or meditation. It is a practice of directing and sustaining attention on the breath, images, sensations, music, or whatever arises in each moment. A yoga mat is the most accessible place to start.

However, the application of mindfulness should spill into paying attention in everyday life.

By practicing mindfulness, we learn to discern. We create space for simplicity as we make time to reflect, to know ourselves. Next, we discover the inner voice instead of being influenced by shiny complicated things online, social media, and TV.

The goal of this isn’t to empty your mind, but rather to stay focused and present. You can’t fail in mindfulness.

Find a qualified yoga teacher or do some google soul-searching on mindfulness and meditation. Find something simple and begin right away.

2) Sleep

The best bridge between despair and hope is a good night’s sleep.

~ E. Joseph Cossman

Sleep

The practice of mindfulness is #1 on my list because it helps to manage the monkey’s mind. I also highly recommend journaling. By writing down your thoughts, “to-do” and “not-do” lists, you free your mind. Set the timer for a five or ten minutes, grab a notepad and start vomiting your anxieties on paper.

Hence, sleep is #2 on my list. There is a ton of research on how sleep deprivation affects our health. From obesity to anxiety. To keep things simple, here are some things that help me fall asleep.

3) Food As a Medicine

It is challenging to be mindful when we eat crap. The problem is that how do we know what makes us feel bad? It is like wearing uncomfortable shoes for years and not realizing that we are in pain until we kick the shoes off.

I’ve been keeping a food journal where I write my food intake, time and how it makes me feel. And this is how I gave up meat. It made me feel heavy, lethargic. It’s been nearly 20 years. I grew up eating meat, but I don’t miss it.

Next, I gave up fish. Every time I would eat fish, I would feel iron taste and every other time, I would get an allergic reaction. It’s been nearly 19 years. Likewise, no fish cravings.

In 2016, I had a regenerative stem cell procedure. I read that cheese can cause inflammation. Inflammation equals to aging and disease. I had cravings because cheese is addictive. Then, I read Neal Barnard’s book: The Cheese Trap. Cravings are gone for good. It’s been two years. I don’t think I will ever eat cheese again. I never liked eggs, and I can’t help to think of fetus and mucus when I make eggs for others…Sorry, if I ruined your appetite.

As a result, I eat whole foods plant-based foods like kale, spinach, broccoli, a ton of mushrooms, dark chocolate, nuts, avocados, and berries. I try not to overeat processed oil or honey.

I like my veggies cooked. I use instant pot or cast iron skillet. Typically, I water sautéed kale for a few minutes (more beneficial prepared than raw), add a tad of salt, lemon, and Avo.

4) Cut Refine Sugar

Cut Sugar

“Some of the largest companies are now using brain scans to study how we react neurologically to certain foods, especially to sugar. They’ve discovered that the brain lights up for sugar the same way it does for cocaine.”

In 1776 Americans consumed about 4 lbs of sugar per person each year. By 1850, 20 pounds. By 1994 – 120 lbs. Now we closer to 150 pounds. Most of this sugar is chemically derived from fructose making us fat and sick. The fructose added to bread, pasta, juices and processed foods, table sugar, sugar in candy bars.

Fructose intake is also associated with severity of liver function. Based on one of the studies, the effect of fructose was limited to industrial fructose, with no evidence for a negative effect of fructose from fruit.

You get a spike in a blood sugar within a half hour while your body releases insulin to control the spiked blood, which causes your body to dump fat into your bloodstream as if you are starving.

There is a definite difference in how your body reacts to eating fruit. Fiber helps to inhibit the uptake and helps to regulate the rate of intestinal sugar absorption.

I love muffins, candy, ice-cream, and other crappy sweets. I don’t do moderation well. Sugar is addictive. I try to be mindful when I have cravings. Sugar craving is usually the result of the perception of stress, bedroom or need to fill something missing.

So, if you feel like loading on candy, take a breath and ask yourself, what am I missing?